PUP makes its pitch to Tasmanian voters

By
CALLA WAHLQUIST

March 2, 2014, 12:04 p.m.

CLIVE Palmer has made his official pitch to Tasmanian voters, but those waiting on more detail about what his party would actually deliver if elected in two weeks time will have to wait until later this afternoon.

PUP makes its pitch to Tasmanian voters

Clive Palmer addresses the media ahead of the Palmer United Party campaign launch in Hobart today. Picture: Calla Wahlquist.

CLIVE Palmer has made his official pitch to Tasmanian voters, but those waiting on more detail about what his party would actually deliver if elected in two weeks time will have to wait until later this afternoon.

Mr Palmer spoke to the media ahead of the Palmer United Party state campaign launch in Hobart this morning.

He said Tasmania needed a change to reverse the poverty of its people and get the economy moving.

But he was declined to provide detail about how his party would achieve that, saying only that it would introduce a new fast ferry service, did not believe that 51 per cent of the state should be ``locked up'' and believed Tasmania should return to 1980s economic policy.

``We need to get the people to work together in this state and to increase the living standard,'' Mr Palmer said.

``And how you do that is by going back to see what it was like in the past before the Franklin Dam, before all these things happened that destroyed the economy, and you've got to revisit those policies because they worked for this state, it was a booming state once.''

Mr Palmer accused the Tasmanian government of standing by while people were ``virtually sliding down into poverty.''

``I have got over 200 cousins here living in abject poverty in this state because of the actions of the Premier,'' Mr Palmer said.

Tasmanian PUP leader Kevin Morgan, introduced by Mr Palmer as ``the man I'm sure will be the next premier of this state,'' said Premier Lara Giddings and Opposition Leader were ``extremely boring,'' and said Ms Giddings ``pays more attention to her hair than the needs of the Tasmanian people.''

Mr Palmer said he was ``disappointed'' The Liberal Party was ``attacking us and not attacking Labor and the Greens.''

He dismissed Liberal campaign spokeswoman Vanessa Goodwin's observation this morning that Palmer United Party banners at the launch of the fast ferry policy in Launceston yesterday said it would be a ``Bass Straight'' service.